The Desmond Elliott Prize

The Desmond Elliott Prize was founded in 2007 to celebrate the best 1st novel by a new author and to support writers just starting what will be long and glittering careers. It has succeeded in its mission in a manner that would make Elliott proud.

The Desmond Elliott Prize 2018 Shortlist

The three novels shortlisted as a part of the 2018 Desmond Elliott Prize were announced on the 27th April. All three of these books are in the running to win the £10,000 Prize and take the title of best debut novel of the year. All three of this year’s Shortlisted titles have a common theme. A preoccupation with the impact of social isolation whether it is by withdrawing from relationships, friends, colleagues or family.

The Desmond Elliott Prize

“The most prestigious award for 1st-time novelists” - Daily Telegraph

The longlist for the 11th annual Desmond Elliott Prize has been announced! The 10-strong collection that have made the cut this year include two Guardian journalists: Xan Brooks and Paula Cocozza and a former Sunday Times Style columnist Francesca Hornak.This year’s longlist also sees the return of Galley Beggar Press, whose books have featured as a part of the longlist for the fifth year in a row. This literary prize has been described by the Daily Telegraph as the “UK’s most prestigious award for debut novelists”. Check out the longlist below to see who is one step closer to the prize.

Desmond Elliott

Desmond Elliott’s own story began in an Irish orphanage. In 1947, aged 16 and with just two pounds in his pocket, he left for England to start his publishing career at Macmillan. Thereafter, he set up as an agent and subsequently went on to establish his own publishing company, Arlington Books, in 1960. The charismatic, witty and waspish Elliott – who drank only champagne, flew regularly by Concorde and used Fortnum & Mason as his local grocer – nurtured numerous blockbuster authors, including Jilly Cooper, Anthony Horowitz and Penny Vincenzi. He died in August 2003 at the age of 73.